Google to keep Motorola team responsible for modular phone project

Google is selling Motorola to Lenovo, but the Silicon Valley company will… (Motorola )

Google is selling Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion, but the Silicon Valley company will be keeping the Motorola team responsible for several futuristic projects.

Following the official announcement of the Motorola acquisition, Lenovo confirmed that Google will retain Motorola's Advanced Technology and Projects group, according to The Verge. That team of nearly 100 is responsible for Project Ara, a build-your-own-phone concept announced by Motorola last year.

Besides Project Ara, the team is also behind several other outside-the-box ideas, such as security tattoos and biotech sensors. According to The Verge, Google plans to give the team more resources as a way to accelerate its projects.

Citing unnamed sources, The Verge said the Motorla team will be integrated with the Android team at Google. Regina Dugan, the head of the team, will report directly to Sundar Pichai, head of Chrome and Android at Google.

The team will move from its offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and join Google in Mountain View, The Verge report said. It's unclear when the move will happen.

Google will retain the patents developed by the group, but Lenovo will have a license to them, according to The Verge.